The twenty guests who will sit next to Jill Biden at the State of the Union

Twenty guests will join Jill Biden on Thursday to watch the State of the Union address from the first lady’s viewing box in the House chamber, a setup that will draw sharp distinctions from Republicans as President Biden looks to highlight his achievements and wants to emphasize its advantage on issues such as reproductive rights.

The guests include an Alabama woman whose in vitro fertilization treatments were halted after a state court ruling, and another Texas woman who was denied an abortion in the state despite what her doctors said were health complications from the pregnancy. Their presence signals Mr. Biden’s emphasis on an issue that boosted Democrats in the recent election, as he faces a rematch against former President Donald J. Trump, whom he trails in many polls.

They are among a number of guests looking to discuss health policy, including Maria Shriver, the journalist turned women’s health advocate.

Also on the list are the head of the United Automobile Workers and several union members, as the president tries to burnish his job bona fides. Other guests, including a mayor, a police officer and the Prime Minister of Sweden, represent a range of issues from student debt cancellation to infrastructure and employment programs.

The wars in Ukraine and Gaza, which have consumed so much of Mr. Biden’s time over the past year, received scant attention. The White House had hoped that Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, would attend, but both said they could not attend. The only guest involved in the Middle East crisis will be a U.S. Navy commander who earned a Bronze Star protecting ships from Houthi rebels.

Here is a closer look at each guest and the issues they highlight.

Abortion, IVF and healthcare

Latorya Beasleyan Alabama mother whose in vitro fertilization treatments were halted after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos should be considered children.

Kate Cox, a Dallas-area mother whose request for an abortion was denied by Texas courts, despite her doctors claiming the pregnancy endangered her health. Ms. Cox traveled out of state to undergo the procedure.

Steven Hadfielda blood cancer patient with diabetes who is dependent on a drug selected for the first round of the Medicare drug price negotiation program.

Justin Phillipsthe CEO of Overdose Lifeline, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing opioid and fentanyl overdose deaths and expanding access to care.

Kris Blackleyan oncology nurse at a South Carolina health care system that is trying to expand services to cancer patients as part of the cancer “moonshot” program, the president’s initiative to cut the cancer death rate in half.

Mary Shriverthe journalist and founder of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, who helped announce a White House initiative to increase research on women’s health.

Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Swedenthat will join the NATO alliance.

Commander Shelby Nikitin of the Navy, who received a Bronze Star for helping protect shipping vessels from attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Local leaders

Bettie Mae Fikesa civil rights advocate who died on Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala., in 1965. marched. Thursday’s State of the Union address falls on his 59th birthday.

Kameryn Pupunua Hawaiian police officer whose hometown of Lahaina was devastated by the August wildfires that killed more than 100 people, including four of his immediate family members.

Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis from the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, which has worked with the Biden administration to modernize tribal infrastructure.

Jazmin Cazaresa gun control advocate and the older sister of Jackie Cazares, a 9-year-old who was among 19 students and two teachers killed in the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Keenan Jonesa high school teacher in Minnesota whose student loans were eligible for forgiveness.

Tiffany Zoellera military spouse who joined the president to announce his June executive order expanding support and career opportunities for military spouses.

Mayor Garnett L. Johnson from Augusta, Georgia, a city designated by the White House as one of five Investing in America Workforce Hubs to expand pathways to tech jobs.

Samantha Ervin-Upsheran apprentice at a carpenters union in Pittsburgh who met the first lady during a trip to highlight an Investing in America Workforce Hub there.

Natalie Kingthe CEO of Dunamis Charge, a black-owned electric vehicle charger manufacturer.

Dawn Simmsa third-generation auto worker and UAW member whose factory was closed and then reopened in a ceremony attended by Mr. Biden.

Rashawn Spiveya plumber in Milwaukee who has expanded his business replacing lead pipes, primarily in daycare centers, as part of a government initiative to replace every lead pipe within ten years.